Sri Lanka President slams PM Wickremesinghe for corruption

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena came down heavily on Prime Minister and his party blaming them for corruption and failing to act against the wrongdoings during former regime of Mahinda Rajapakse.

Addressing a commemoration event in Colombo Wednesday evening, Mr. Sirisena said the late Sobitha Thera, who came forward to set up government through a common candidate, never asked that common candidate to loot the Central bank.

Several members of United National Party (UNP) led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe have been accused in central bank Treasury bond scam.

Sirisena asserted that he had not experienced insults, character assassination and disgrace in his 47-year-old political career than what he experienced as the President.

He blamed UNP government on acting in small cases but failing to act against former regime in high-profile murder cases.

He took swipe at his detractors for saying that anyone contesting the Presidential election as the common candidate could have won, saying that he was used as the common candidate as he was a clean politician and came forward as a lion despite life threats.

President’s party and UNP had formed a national unity government after 2015 elections but both parties have differed on several issues.

Relations between the two leaders grew after both sides faced defeat at hands of Mahinda Rajapakse’s coalition during local body elections held in February.

Some MPs of the President side supported a no confidence motion against Prime minister last month which failed to garner majority support in Parliament.